Low-fat yoghurt during pregnancy 'may increase asthma risk'

Women who consume low-fat yoghurt during pregnancy may be more likely to have children with asthma and hay fever, a study has found.

Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health analysed data from the Danish National Birth Cohort to assess the links between milk and dairy intake during pregnancy and the prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis.

They found that women who consumed milk during pregnancy tended to be less likely to have children with asthma.

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In contrast, those who ate low-fat yoghurt with fruit once a day were 1.6 times more likely to have children who developed asthma by seven years of age than those who had no yoghurt whatsoever.

The findings are due to be presented at the annual congress of the European Respiratory Society later this month (September 25th).

Lead study author Ekaterina Maslova commented: 'This is the first study of its kind to link low-fat yoghurt intake during pregnancy with an increased risk of asthma and hay fever in children.'

The researcher added that the link may be due to a number of reasons, and that the team plans to carry out further investigations.

Some 5.4 million people in the UK are living with asthma, according to national charity Asthma UK.

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